Storage of acetylene



Patented July 14, 1931 UNITED STATES MAX ROI-IRSCI-INEIDER, OF HAMBURG,GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO SVENSKA AK'IIE- BOLAGET GASAGCUMULATOR, OFSTOCKHOLM-LIDINGO, SWEDEN.

sronaen or AoETYLnnn J N Drawing. Application filed May 19, 1928, SerialNo. 279,204, and in Germany September 27, 1927.

solid filling materials possess the disadvantage that they aresubsequently difiicult toempty out of the containers, and also thatvthey are insufficiently porous with correspondingly inadequate powers ofabsorbing gas, while the loose materials in small pieces all exhibit toa greater or less extent different disadvantages. If such materialsconsist only of a powder like substance, the gas absorptive powers aretoo small; if granular or fibrous material such as charcoal, kapok, silkwaste or the like is employed, the filling is insufficiently heatresistant.

If mixture of these insuificientlyheat resistant materials withkieselguhr or the like are tried, the components readily separate outwithin the container when the acetone used as liquid absorbent is pouredin and when it is shaken to and fro during transport and use.

According tothe present invention the most finely disintegrated leather,which is available in abundant quantities as a byproduct in leathermanufacture, is employed. This material provides a reliable filling foracetylene cylinders, which satisfies all re quirements on account ofsafety and possesses an ample absorptive power.

For the purpose, the leather is shredded in a suitable apparatusuntil itattains a soft wool like condition, so that externally it resemblessomewhat the dried shredded material which is used in paper manufacture.

This leather must give a neutral reaction and should contain nocomponents soluble in acetone. Any acid must be washed out with waterprior to use, and components soluble in acetone extracted with acetone.If grease-free. leather waste is used, and especially chrome leatherwaste, a preliminary treatment with acetone is not necessary. Thiscleaning may be performed either be fore or after the comminution of theleather. After cleaning, the leather is carefully dried at a suitabletemperature in order to drive off the water.

The shredded wool-like leather material can then be used as filling bypacking it into the acetylene containers. 4

Then the acetone is poured intothe containers and finally acetylene gasis led in.

WVith the loose framentary fillings previously used, acareful tightpacking of the material in the containers was necessary in order toobtain a reliable compacting and to avoid the subsequent formation ofhollow 1.

spaces, which process entailed considerable labor and expense! On thecontrary the filling with finely divided leather is appreciably simplerand can be carried out in much shorter time and without the use of anyother auxiliary appliances.

Fire tests made concerning the use of this ma erial have shown that itsatisfies the mixed with a granular or powder like heat resistantmaterial e. g. pulverized and granular pumice stone or kieselguhr.

Pumice stone, in the form in which it occurs in nature, is a softmaterial of little mechanical strength, which is therefore not suitableas it stands for filling acetylene containers, as it would be quicklyground to a powder within them, especially in transparent, so that thematerial would shake down together and form hollow spaces. To avoid thisdifficulty, the pumice stone granules can with advantage be mixed withthe most finely divided leather, in which the granules of the mineralbecome so embedded that a protection results against the pressure actingon them. The natural adhesion existing between the pumice stone and theleather in consequence of the fine fabrils of the latter is so greatthat there is no fear of a subsequent separating out of the twocomponents, such as can be observed regularly, for example, in mixtureswhich consist of pumice stone, charcoal or the like and kieselguhr. Thematerial consisting of leather and kieselguhr also does not subsequentlyseparate out into its components.

1. A method of preparing an absorbent I ill ing material Which comprisesadmixing leather and an inorganic heat resistant material.

2. A method of preparing an absorbent filling material which comprisesreducing leather to a finely divided state and thenwashing the leatherWith an organic solvent adapted to remove the natural acids, Wa-tellsoluble in the said orand other constituents ganic solvent. p H

3. A method of preparing an absorbent filling material Which comprisesshredding.

leather and then washingthesamewith,an organic solvent to remove thenatural acidsand other constituents soluble in the saidorganic solvent.

4. A method of preparing an. absorbent filling material which comprisesreducing leather to a finely dividedstate and then Washing the same withacetone;

5. A method of preparing an absorbent filling material which comprisesreducing leather to a finely divided state, washing the same Withanorganicsolvent adapted toremove the natural-acids,- Water and otherconstituents soluble in the said organic solvent and then addinga heatresistant material.

6. A method of preparing an absorbent ma-, terial Which comprisesreducing leather to a finely divided state, Washing the same with anorganic solvent adapted to remove thenatural acids, Water and otherconstituents soluble in the said organic solvent and, then adding aninorganic substance;

7. Filling material for acetylene containers comprising divided leathermixed With kieselguhr.

8. A means for holding acetylene which comprises a pressure tightcontainer, leather in a porous condition filling said container, aliquid solvent for acetylene, substantially filling the interstices inthe leather, and dissolved acetylene under pressure Within saidcontainer.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

MAX ROHRSCHNEIDER.

